Released former child soldier says freedom of expression still denied in Myanmar

Released former child soldier says freedom of expression still denied in Myanmar

A former child soldier who was imprisoned for public mischief said that freedom of expression was still being denied and banned in Myanmar.

“I have not significant feeling for being released from jail because the right to freedom of expression is still being denied and banned in our country,” Aung Ko Htwe, 28, said.

He said these words after being released from Yangon’s Insein jail on September 6 after serving his full sentence.

“I served over a decade in prison. So do our whole country. The entire country is also behind bars. The people outside the jail are also imprisoned because we don’t have right to freedom of expression until today. It is the same situation as staying inside the jail,” he said.

Aung Ko Htwe gave interview to RFA (Radio Free Asia) on his experience of how he was recruited as child soldier and then Lt. Col. Myo Myint Aung registered case against him under section 505(b) of the Penal Code (public mischief).

Moreover three persons including his elder sister Nay Zar Tun were charged with public mischief and inciting a riot at Dagon Myothit Seikkan Township court for rallying around Aung Ko Htwe at the court hearings and they are still being detained in the same Insein prison in judicial custody.